We Don't Stop Playing Because We Grow Old...

"Do you think we should go to the Rec Center? It's pretty bad out there."

"By the time we get in the car, find a parking space, and walk to the Rec Center, we could have done our first mile," I said to Ruth Anne.

"Yeah you're right."

We layered up and embraced the elements for our Thursday miles. We splashed in the puddles when we couldn't avoid them. Rather than grumbling at the wind and torrential downpours we laughed. I felt the unbridled joy that we were outside, healthy and able to run in the rain. 

Do you know why I love rainy days with mud and puddles when it's a scheduled run day? Because having contracted paralytic polio at the age of 5 and enduring years of abuse at the hands of family members meant I could never experience the unbridled joy of going out and splashing in puddles. Shortly after being diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome and having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. Poetry started flowing out of me igniting the fire of my imagination to heal my past and create a future very different than the one Western Medicine predicted for me. 

After I had a dream in which I came out of my leg brace and was splashing in puddles a la Gene Kelly, I wrote the above poem, "Come Out and Play."

Come Out and Play

Arms flung open wide dancing in the rain
pure abiding joy to feel alive again
healing tears fall and blend in God’s puddle
no time to sit in a corner and huddle
all the old rules driven by fears
washed away now by God’s loving tears
the imprint dad left no longer remains
rain washes away all of the stains
baptized with love, Truth lights my way
the sun shines through on this rainy day
splashing and laughing my heart opens wide
embracing and flowing I’m one with the tide
God takes my hand release the old way
bathe in my glory come out and play!

I am often reminded of Wayne Dyer's quote:

It's ironic that it took the diagnosis of a progressive neuromuscular disease for me to find my joy and my passion in life.

After a major setback in 2021/2022, I realized that I needed to get back on my healing path reminding myself that there was going to be pain whether or I pushed myself or "played it safe". I am so happy I pushed myself up and out of the setback to rekindle my joy of being out on the roads.

Ruth Anne insisted we take selfies to capture the joy in the sloshing squishing of shoes and being soaked to the skin:

 

I was amazed at how we were able to keep moving despite feeling weighed down by our clothing and being literally soaked to the skin! But when we finished the run, after peeling off our clothes and drying off, I felt as though I could take on the whole world.

In my latest book, "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior," I share quotes about training runs in the rain on the road to the 2024 Bermuda 10K. One of my favorites is: 

We could have gone to the BC Fit Rec Center or opted to do strength training or taken an unscheduled rest day but what would have been the fun in that? 

I am coming up on my half birthday on 6/25th - halfway through the first year of my new decade. As I grow older (not old), I make it a habit to find joy, play and laughter as often as I can! It's true that we don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing!

In health and wellness,

Mary

Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could. Be sure to visit the News and Events Page with links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements and where you can find my incredibly inspirational story. My interview with the amazing On the Runs podcast team of Erika Hamel and Eric Knuuttunen is Episode 56. Be sure to subscribe and download on your favorite podcast platform and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Proud to BU is a podcast highlighting the illustrious achievements of Boston University Alumni. Here is the link to my episode.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon

"A Most Unlikely Runner: Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior is now available.  Book Release Party 6/3  7-8pm at Livite Brookline in Washington Square Brookline